Erico, a gospel singer, rose to prominence in 2006 when he emerged as the winner of Mentor, a renowned music reality show in Ghana.
The victory propelled his career forward, leading to a string of successful releases and chart-topping hits.
However, the singer, now performing under the name Ark Eric, has candidly revealed that life hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing since his triumph.
Despite this, he holds no regrets about his decision to distribute his substantial cash prize of GH¢10,000, which held great value in 2006, among fellow contestants and individuals who supported him during the competition.
This generous act highlights his gratitude and the importance he places on acknowledging those who contributed to his success.
“I was the winner of season three. The winning prize was equally good but I divided that money into three. I won GH¢10,000 in the year 2006, it was huge money.
“I took GH¢6,000 and distributed the remaining GH¢4,000 among the boys. The one who won the 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions, Papa Mentor also had his share,” Erico told Kwaku Manu in an interview on the ‘Aggressive Show’ in May 2023.
Erico was quick to explain the rationale behind his act of kindness. On his account, he felt the reward for placing in the competition wasn’t big enough, and as the winner he decided to show love to prevent any form of jealousy.
“Humans are naturally greedy, you must sow seed into people’s lives. Among those who placed, the winner took a large sum of money. Someone can get jealous and even end your life, this was the reason for my move. I hit the studios with the money I had, I recorded my first song titled ‘Otumi Ade Nyinaa Ye’,” he recalled.
On Erico’s account, most of his colleagues would not climb the leader to stardom due to a tall list of challenges adding that winning a reality show does not automatically make you a star, it entails lots of sacrifices.
“It is all about the hard work. Others also didn’t get the needed sponsorship. There are some who after the Mentor reality show couldn’t release a song. Others never recorded a hit song because it is not easy,” he noted.
Popular among Erico’s songs include; Twen Nyame and Ebube which remains a timeless hit in the gospel circles.
The absence of Rafael Nadal from this year’s French Open marks a significant milestone, as it has been an extraordinary stretch of time since the tournament last took place without him.
To put it into perspective, when Nadal was not competing at Roland Garros, Tony Blair was serving as the British Prime Minister, Carlos Alcaraz was just a baby, and popular platforms like Twitter and Instagram had yet to exist.
Nadal’s dominance on the clay courts of Paris has been nothing short of remarkable. Since his debut victory in 2005, he has triumphed a staggering 14 times, suffered only three defeats, and had to withdraw from the tournament on a single occasion.
His track record at the French Open stands as a testament to his unparalleled skill and success on this particular surface.
Novak Djokovic has emerged as the frontrunner for the French Open, primarily due to his impressive track record at the tournament, with two titles and four additional finals to his name. Furthermore, his astounding collection of 22 Grand Slam titles adds to his favoritism.
Despite turning 36 this week, the Serbian has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to overcome physical challenges and emerge victorious in major tournaments, as seen in his triumph at this year’s Australian Open. However, concerns loom over the condition of his right elbow, raising significant uncertainties regarding his performance at Roland Garros.
Djokovic has suffered defeats to Lorenzo Musetti, Dusan Lajovic and Holger Rune on clay this season but still spoke bullishly about his chances in Paris.
“I know I can always play better,” he said in Rome. “Definitely I am looking forward to working on various aspects of my game, of my body, hopefully getting myself in 100 per cent shape. That’s the goal.
“I always like my chances in grand slams against anybody on any surface, best-of-five (sets).”
Djokovic is increasingly mounting a one-man defence against the younger generation, and 20-year-old Alcaraz reclaimed the world number one ranking from him this week.
Rune, also 20, has established himself as a big-time talent over the past six months while 21-year-old Jannik Sinner is having the best season of his career.
Only Rome champion Daniil Medvedev is within a decade of Djokovic in the top 10, and the Serbian said: “A new generation is here already. Alcaraz is number one in the world. Obviously he’s playing amazing tennis. I think it’s also good for our sport that we have new faces, new guys coming up. It’s normal.
On the women’s side, a top three has emerged this season, with Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina closing the gap to world number one Iga Swiatek.
The Pole remains a class act on clay in particular but is certainly not as clear a favourite as 12 months ago, when her second French Open title came as part of a 37-match winning run.
The best hope for a strong British run once again is Cameron Norrie, whose top-16 ranking ensures he will avoid other top players in the early rounds.
The withdrawals of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu are a blow but 21-year-old Jack Draper has recovered from an abdominal problem in time and will look to show his potential on the big stage again.
The Parliamentary Candidate for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, who represents the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called for the dismissal of Freddie Blay, the Board Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah, the acting Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Agbana expressed concerns that their prolonged tenure poses a significant threat to the existence of GNPC as the two have already been accused of masterminding activities that continue to put the country’s interest in the petroleum sector in jeopardy.
Agbana emphasized that President Akufo-Addo will face increasing pressure to take action and cannot evade responsibility in this matter.
“I think the president should show leadership and ensure that these two individuals are dealt with accordingly and as anti-campaigner we will keep watching what the president will do in this matter,” Mr Agbana said in an interview with TV3.
The GNPC Board Chairman is said to have written to PetroSA offering it an equal split in the interest held by GNPC’s subsidiary Jubilee Oil Holdings Ltd.
Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh is unenthused by the deal and wants it off the table, saying it does not favour the country.
Already, some 29 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have also demanded the removal of the two.
The CSOs, made up of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) and 26 others, say the two men have “become a threat to Ghana’s interest in the petroleum sector.”
In a statement endorsed by representatives from all 29 CSOs and sighted by JoyNews, the coalition argued that a country being micromanaged by the IMF cannot be seen to be engaging in fiscal recklessness.
The group is also demanding complete information on the AFC transaction and the actual amount that would constitute petroleum cost and the immediate closure of the Aker PoD from the Petroleum Commission and Government.”
Giving more details, the coalition said the recurring controversies surrounding Aker Energy and AGM operations in Ghana and the sale of 50% of Jubilee Oil Holding Limited’s interest in the Deepwater Tano block to PetroSA, are of great concern.
“In these difficult times, the nation needs prudent management of its resources to derive the fullest of benefits and bring relief to the suffering masses,” the statement added.
Netflix has recently implemented its long-awaited crackdown on password sharing in major markets like the UK and the US.
In an effort to increase subscriber numbers, the streaming giant has begun notifying customers that they will need to pay a monthly fee of £4.99 ($7.99 in the US) if they wish to share their account with individuals outside their households.
Although this move is aimed at boosting revenue, it has faced resistance in certain countries where it was previously tested.
For instance, in Spain, where an additional account was charged at 5.99 euros (£5.27), Netflix lost over a million subscribers in the first quarter of the year, according to Kantar.
On Tuesday, Netflix sent out an email to customers in 103 countries and territories, including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, and Singapore, informing them about the changes in account sharing policies.
The company previously warned investors there would be cancellations as it expands its programme, but said: “Longer term, paid sharing will ensure a bigger revenue base from which we can grow as we improve our service”.
In Canada, where the changes were introduced in February, its paid membership base is now larger than it was before the changes, and revenue growth picked up, it said previously.
Netflix had previously estimated that more than 100 million households share passwords despite this being against its official rules.
The company wants to tap into this audience to make more money, as its subscriber growth slows and increased competition challenges its dominance of the streaming market.
Heavyweights such as Disney and Amazon have weighed in with their own services, and Netflix has a host of other rivals.
These entertainment giants are vying for customers, many of whom have been under pressure from the soaring pace of general price rises.
Netflix has been trying to tempt users with a less expensive streaming option with ads, and cut prices in 116 countries in the three months to March.
It has also been expanding its paid sharing programme, which it started trialling in some countries last year.
The move to notify customers brings the scheme to some of the company’s most important markets. Netflix has 233 million subscribers globally.
In the event that Ghana defaults in the payment of some four loans to China, the country will lose its sales of electricity and the revenue accrued from the exportation of its minerals.
This is according to information provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its May 2023 report that touched on the request for an arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility, the Staff Report prepared by a staff team of the IMF for the Executive Board’s consideration on May 17, 2023, and a Debt Sustainability Analysis prepared by the staffs of the IMF and the Internal Development Association
Collateralized debt is any contracted or guaranteed debt that gives the creditor the rights over an asset or revenue stream that would allow it, if the borrower defaults on its payment obligations, to rely on the asset or revenue stream to secure repayment of the debt, the IMF defines.
The Fund revealed that collateralized debt, entirely held by China, accounts for only 2.0 percent of external debt. And this corresponds to 4 loan agreements signed in 2007-18 that amount to US$619 million (0.9 percent of GDP) to finance infrastructure projects.
“These are collateralized against commodity production (cocoa, bauxite and oil) and electricity sales,” the IMF report stated.
In 2007, Ghana under the leadership of former President John Agyekum Kufuor secured a loan valued at $306 million for a Bui Hydropower Project 400 MW (CL part) with a total cost of $749.6 million and used its cocoa exports as collateral.
Under the Mahama government in 2012, government received a loan worth $75 million and $76 million for Bui Hydropower Project 400MW Additional Finance Loan 1 and Bui Hydropower Project 400 MW Additional Finance Loan 2, respectively. Cocoa exports were used as collateral.
In 2013, Ghana was provided a $150 million loan for an Integrated National Security Communications Enhancement Network (ALPHA) Project – Phase I, as well as a $850 million loan for a Western Corridor Gas Infrastructure Project; Jubilee Oil Field. The government used its oil exports as resource security.
The West African country in 2019 under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo secured three loan deals – $186 million for the construction of Eleven Coastal Fishing Landing Sites Project, $211 million for an Accra Intelligent Traffic Management System and Road Completion with oil exports as collateral. Using Ghana’s bauxite exports as collateral, government secured $550 million for Construction/Rehabilitation of Selected Roads and Interchanges in Ghana- Phase 1. These details were provided by the China Africa Research Initiative.
The IMF has stressed that “statutory funds will not be allowed to collateralize revenue streams and issue debt. No objection certificates will not be issued to any statutory fund by the governing authority in this regard.”
As at the end of 2022, Ghana owed China $1.9 billion out of which $619 million were collateralized loans.
China’s loans to a number of African countries and other poor nations have caught the attention of the World Bank which finds it concerning.
President of the World Bank David Malpass says that the terms and conditions need to be “more transparent”.
“For governments in Africa, they shouldn’t be offering collateral as an inducement to make a loan, because it locks it up for generations. That’s been happening with China.”
Beijing has become one of the biggest sources for loans to developing economies in recent years. A new study led by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy shows that globally, China lent $185bn (£150bn) in bailouts to 22 countries between 2016 and 2021.
Also, the World Bank notes that the world’s poorest countries faced $35 billion in debt-service payments to official and private sector creditors in 2022, of which 40% was due to China alone.
Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Laos and Mongolia are just a few countries aside Ghana who are indebted to China.
In response to the concerns raised against it, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that if it is to accede to IMF and World Bank demands to forgive a portion of its loans, so should multilateral lenders, which it views as U.S. proxies.
“We call on these institutions to actively participate in relevant actions in accordance with the principle of ‘joint action, fair burden’ and make greater contributions to help developing countries tide over the difficulties,” the ministry statement said.
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson is being considered for a potential recall to the England national team, as manager Gareth Southgate monitors the fitness of Jude Bellingham.
Wilson has been in fine form, netting 11 goals since being omitted from the squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine back in March.
Gareth Southgate is set to announce his squad on Wednesday for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers. England currently sits at the top of Group C and will face Malta on June 16 and North Macedonia in Manchester on June 19.
Callum Wilson has played a crucial role in Newcastle United’s push for a top-four finish, and their qualification for the Champions League after a two-decade absence was sealed with a goalless draw against Leicester on Monday.
While the 31-year-old striker represented his country at the World Cup in Qatar, he struggled to find the back of the net, managing only one goal in 13 matches following the season’s resumption. This lack of form led to his exclusion from Gareth Southgate’s squad.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has previously backed his striker for a recall.
He said: “It’s one for Gareth, but he is certainly doing the right things, scoring goals. That is always going to get you the headlines. He is certainly in great form. I don’t know if it is his best.
“But I think he is very focused at the moment and he knows he has to be. I think the biggest compliment I can pay him is that, whatever situation he’s been in, he’s still been himself, laughing, smiling, joking.
“He is a really positive character. He’s somebody that the squad needs to be positive because he’s such a big personality within it.”
There is a spot available after Ivan Toney’s eight-month ban for betting offences was confirmed this month.
The Brentford striker made his debut as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Ukraine but will be unable to play competitively again until January.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins missed out on a call-up last time and will come into Southgate’s thoughts again.
Watkins has 15 goals this season, although he has not scored in his last six outings and missed a penalty in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool.
Voting at the Bodomase Methodist Polling Station in the Kumawu Constituency experienced a 30-minute interruption due to a clash between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to our correspondent Ibrahim Abubakar, the altercation occurred when NDC supporters demanded the removal of a ballot from the box during the ongoing by-elections.
This request was prompted by a complaint from an elderly woman who claimed that an Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) official assisting her had mistakenly thumb-printed for the NPP instead of the NDC as requested.
To defuse the situation, additional police personnel were deployed to restore calm, as tensions ran high. The EC official, unable to convince the crowd of her actions, was escorted to safety.
Some presiding officers of the EC are allegedly forcing some old folks of Kumawu to vote for the NPP candidates against their wishes when assisting them. This is a video of a lady complaining to Dr Serebuo and some NDC executives of her grandmother being a victim. pic.twitter.com/CRiuo5zio5
Later on, Franklin Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC, arrived at the polling station and cautioned the EC’s Presiding Officer to ensure that such incidents did not recur.
“What we have to do is simply to put our clear instruction that we do not want any such thing from happening anymore [and] we’ve told our agents to definitely be vigilant.”
Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has chastised the Board Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Freddie Blay, for deliberately refusing to adhere to his directive with regards to working with South African National Company (PetroSA).
In a letter dated October 28, 2022, to the GNPC Board Chair, the Energy Minister ordered that “the Corporation should cease any further negotiations with PetroSA on matters of PetroSA’s intended pre-emption of the JOHL stakes.”
“The stakes were acquired by the Government of Ghana with State funds. The Government of Ghana has informed the South African Government through their Minister responsible for Natural Resources and Energy in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the African Energy Week, 2022 in Cape Town that Ghana would not approve any pre-emption of the JOHL stakes” it continued.
But according to Dr Opoku Prempeh, Mr Freddie Blay ignored the wider interest of the government and Ghanaians and offered part of the Government acquired JOHL interest (7%) in the DWT to PETROSA.
This, he said was not well thought through as the implication could be losses to the state.
The President’s attention has also been drawn to the gross disrespect by the GNPC Board Chair.
In a letter to President Akufo-Addo, the Energy Minister wrote:
“The Chairman of the GNPC Board, in the letter under reference, is inviting PetroSA to preempt the 7% interest that was recently acquired by the Government of Ghana from Anadarko West Cape Three Points Company (“Anadarko”) and proposing an equal split of the Deep Water Tano (“DWT”) portion which would decrease the government’s interest.
“We wish to bring this action of the Chairman, which is in direct contravention of the Government of Ghana’s express directives on the subject matter, to the urgent attention of His Excellency the President,” parts of the letter dated May 16, 2023, which was addressed to the secretary of the president read.
As it stands now, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has directed Mr Freddie Blay to withdraw the offer presented to PetroSA.
“I direct that you cease and desist from any further flouting of the directives forthwith and withdraw the offer made to PetroSA in your letter of 23 April 2023 immediately,” the minister wrote in its letter to the GNPC Board Chair.
Read the letter NAPO wrote to Freddie Blay and President Akufo-Addo below:
A total of 29 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are championing an immediate dismissal campaign against the Board Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Freddie Blay and its acting Chief Executive Officer, Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah.
They accuse the duo of masterminding activities that continue to put the country’s interest in the petroleum sector in jeopardy.
The coalition cites the controversies surrounding Aker Energy and AGM operations in Ghana and the sale of 50% of Jubilee Oil Holding Limited’s interest in the Deepwater Tano block to PetroSA.
Already, Energy Minister Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh has accused the Board Chairman, Mr Blay of offering interest in Ghana’s oil fields to a South African oil company, Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (PetroSA). He has instructed Mr Blay to rescind the offer.
“The Corporation should cease any further negotiations with PetroSA on matters of PetroSA’s intended pre-emption of the JOHL stakes.
“The stakes were acquired by the Government of Ghana with State funds. The Government of Ghana has informed the South African Government through their Minister responsible for Natural Resources and Energy in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the African Energy Week, 2022 in Cape Town that Ghana would not approve any pre-emption of the JOHL stakes”.
Amidst this revelation, Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) and 26 others want the two men out of post.
Again, the group is also demanding complete information on the AFC transaction and the actual amount that would constitute petroleum cost and the immediate closure of the Aker PoD from the Petroleum Commission and Government.
James Cook, a 26-year-old artist from Essex, had a delightful surprise when he received recognition from singer Burna Boy for his unique typewriter portraits.
The talented artist was commissioned by the Coachella music festival to create portraits of several headline acts, showcasing his exceptional skills.
After sharing his artwork on social media, Cook captured the attention of Nigerian musician Burna Boy, who expressed praise and admiration for his work. The unexpected recognition from the acclaimed singer left Cook pleasantly surprised and undoubtedly encouraged by the positive feedback.
He retweeted a video saying: “So sick. How long did it take to make this?”
Burna Boy’s response garnered more than 800 retweets, over 5,000 likes, over 300,000 views and many comments complimenting the artist’s work.
“I was really pleasantly surprised to see that he saw the work and that he liked it,” said the 26-year-old, who is from Braintree.
“It’s always a vote of confidence because you never know if you’re able to convey a good likeness of someone and whether they actually genuinely liked that recreation of them.
“That was the cherry on top of the project.”
Crafting the A3 portrait of the singer required an impressive dedication of approximately 60 to 70 hours of meticulous work.
The artwork consists of an astonishing 50,000 to 60,000 individually typed marks meticulously placed. The artist strategically concentrated some of these marks to achieve the desired effect, particularly in areas that demanded darker tones, such as Burna Boy’s beard and eyebrows.
Image caption,The artwork includes between 50,000 and 60,000 individually typed marks and took 60 to 70 hours to complete
“The paper has gone through the machine at least 60 to 70 times because that’s how you build the ink up onto the page to get the darker regions,” Mr Cook explained.
“Over a period of 30 to 40 minutes, what you’ve put on the paper will initially be quite dark, but as it dries it lightens, so you have to keep building the ink to retain those details.”
Mr Cook says his portraits work on two different levels: “You stand back and the drawing is revealed and then you get up close and the drawing conceals hidden typed words.
Image caption,Nigerian singer Burna Boy shared James Cook’s video on twitter saying: “So sick. How long did it take to make this?”
Burna Boy has not been the first celebrity to comment on the artist’s work, however.
In May 2022, actor Tom Hanks signed a depiction Mr Cook made of him in 2018 with the words: “To James Cook. This is super! Tom Hanks.”
Mr Cook said that getting messages of support from across the world was “incredibly rewarding”.
“It’s so lovely to see that the art resonates with people,” he said.
Image caption,Mr Cook was also asked by Coachella organisers to create a portrait of Blondie’s Debbie Harry
Coachella took place in April and also featured Gorillaz, Bad Bunny, Wet Leg, Charli XCX, Blink 182 and Bjork.
Critics in the film industry are awestruck by Halle Bailey’s delivery in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid where she starred as Ariel.
“Star-making”, “A star is born”, “the best thing about this film” are just of the few praises showered on the actress by The Guardian, Hollywood bible Variety, among others.
However, those verdicts come after the casting of a black actress as the mermaid caused controversy in some quarters.
But the 23-year-old singer-turned-actress “knocks all naysayers into place with an innately charismatic turn and full-throttle vocal powers”, according to The Times’ film critic Kevin Maher.
He said Bailey gives a “star-making turn”, a phrase also used by The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey who summed up the film by writing: “Nice casting can’t cover up the ugly visuals and lack of creative risk.”
The live action remake of the beloved 1989 adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s story also uses a large dose of computer animation to bring the underwater world to life.
“The animals are all now, of course, photorealistic,” Loughrey added. “It’s odd to think they spent so much money on making Flounder (Jacob Tremblay) look like a real fish when they could have just bought a Big Mouth Billy Bass and achieved the same range of facial expressions.”
The Guardian’s Ellen E Jones was also scathing, writing that aside from Bailey, “almost everything else about this flops about like a dying fish on deck”.
She said things that were cute or funny when done in cartoon form “are no longer cute or funny when done by computer-generated sea-life approximates with no recognisable facial expressions”.
She added: “Whole sequences of character interaction fondly remembered from its 1989 predecessor… are rendered lifeless by CGI. And you’d be lucky to make much of it out through the murk of the underwater cinematography anyway.”
Other verdicts were varied but less damning – from The Hollywood Reporter’s Lovia Gyarkye, who said the film has a “vague, generic vibe”, to the Telegraph’s Alex Diggins, who said it “justifies its shiny revisioning”.
Past Disney “rehashes haven’t been altogether successful”, Diggins wrote. “Happily, The Little Mermaid comfortably leaps clear of the lot. It serves as a handsome homage while persuasively making the case as its own discrete entity.”
Variety’s Peter Debruge was enthusiastic about the overall film as well as Bailey’s performance.
He also singled out Melissa McCarthy as villainous sea witch Ursula.
“McCarthy manages to hit every beat the super fans expect, while surprising with every pause and inflection,” he wrote.
“Between Bailey’s wide-eyed urchin and McCarthy’s over-the-top octo-hussy, the movie comes alive – not in some zombified form, like reanimated Disney debacles Dumbo and Pinocchio, but in a way that gives young audiences something magical to identify with, and fresh mermaid dreams to aspire to.”
Management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has refuted reports indicating that a number of enumerators who worked with the institution were suddenly dismissed without any form of notice.
In a rejoinder dated May 22, 2023, COCOBOD accused the Anchor newspaper of linking an official notice from its outfit to enumerators about their contract to Ghana’s IMF deal and funding challenges.
Clarifying the misreportage, COCOBOD revealed that the contract staff hired as enumerators whose specific role was the collection of data and registration onto the Cocoa Management System (CMS) were issued six-month contracts, not permanent employment.
“This was made known to them at the time of their recruitment,” the rejoinder titled “Bankrupt COCOBOD abruptly sacks officers” added.
Per management’s statement, the enumerators’ services were no longer required as the enumeration and the registration of cocoa farmers for the CMS and the onboarding onto the first phase of the CFPS were successfully completed on May 15, 2023.
In view of this and as a standard practice, a letter from COCOBOD to all enumerators was sent to serve as the official two-week notice of the end of contracts although some enumerators had the opportunity to have their contracts extended.
This letter, COCOBOD says, has been “misconstrued” and presently finds the claim made by The Anchor Newspaper that “information concerning this matter is sketchy”, rather unfortunate.
“The point must be reiterated that prior to the notice of the end of contract, COCOBOD had informed and explained to the contract staff concerned, to make them sufficiently aware of the matter. There was no need, therefore, to stir a storm out of a teacup.
According to management, the newspaper made no attempt whatsoever to reach COCOBOD for any information or clarification.
Following the clarification, COCOBOD has advised the public to disregard the content of the article “which is not only speculative but also misleading and avoidable.”
Ten students of Kramokrom D/A Primary School in the Sehwi Wiawso Municipality of the Western North Region are receiving medical treatment at Anyinabrim clinic and Sehwi Asafo St. John of God Hospital after being involved in an accident.
These pupils, unfortunately, were the victims of a windstorm that hit their makeshift clay school structure on Monday, May 22, 2023.
The strong winds brought down the dilapidated structure, trapping approximately 50 students who were present.
Due to the efforts of school authorities, these students were rescued from the wreckage, however, ten out of the 50 students sustained severe injuries. These are students from Primary One to Four.
Students of Kramokrom D/A Primary School
They were transported to the Anyinabrim Clinic for initial treatment, but five were later referred to the Sehwi Asafo St. John of God Hospital for further medical attention.
Per reports, the pupils who remained at Anyinabrim Clinic have been discharged. Currently, school is not in session.
The clay structure thatched with zinc sheet has served parents and many students in the Sehwi Wiawso Municipality for four decades with no form of uplift since its construction.
The structure was built by members of the community who have raised safety concerns of the facility to the Municipal Assembly in recent times but have seen no progress.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Sehwi Wiawso, Louis Owusu Agyepong, according to sources, will visit the school to update himself on the recent development.
The National Peace Council has issued a plea to the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to maintain peace and avoid any disruptions during the by-election in Kumawu today.
Emphasizing the significance of preserving the constituency’s peace, the Peace Council has urged both parties to respect the tranquility of the electoral process.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rt. Rev. Nuh Ben Abubekr, has specifically called upon the NPP and NDC to conduct themselves in a composed manner throughout the proceedings.
According to him, they do not want a repetition of what happened in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in 2019.
“We want peace, no one liked what happened at Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency during the by-election. We don’t want it to be repeated here. Parliament has also enacted a law, the police chief Dampare George Akuffo has also met the two main political parties.
“We expect them to follow the law and follow the road map they themselves have set up.”
Rt. Rev. Nuh Ben Abubekr has further urged the Electoral Commission (EC) and its representatives to carry out their duties without any form of bias.
Stressing the importance of impartiality, he emphasized that the EC officials assigned to oversee the by-election should adhere to their training and fulfill their responsibilities diligently and fairly.
Today, on Tuesday, May 23, voters in Kumawu will exercise their right to vote in 78 polling stations to elect a new Member of Parliament following the passing of the incumbent MP, Philip Basoah.
The electorate will have the opportunity to choose among four candidates: Ernest Anim representing the NPP, Kwasi Amankwaa representing the NDC, and two independent candidates named Kwaku Duah.
The Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election was held on January 31, 2019 following the death of the Member of Parliament (MP), Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, on November 21, 2018.
On the day of the election, violence ensued. Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) final report on observation of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election revealed the following.
Incidents Recorded
The intimidating presence of masked security persons at some polling stations in the course of Election Day: In some cases, these masked security operatives who wore khaki and black attire loaded themselves in vehicles and hovered around polling stations for a while before leaving.
Some observers noted that the mode of driving by some of these security operatives, even around such polling stations appeared quite reckless or dangerous. Some of the polling stations where these masked security operatives were sighted by observers included Opposite A & C Shopping Mall (East Legon), Restaurant C 23/29 (Okponglo), Meteorological Service Mpehuasem (Okponglo), Little Flowers Montessori Prim and JHS (Dzorwulu), Bawaleshie Primary School 1 & 2 and Akuafo Annex (Legon).
The heavy presence of security personnel at various polling stations observed: CODEO observers noted the high number of security personnel, including stationed uniformed personnel, mobile patrol teams, and non-uniformed personnel at polling stations visited. CODEO observers also noted that in some cases, mobile security operatives were fullyarmed. Some mobile patrol teams came in pick-ups, and what seemed like private vehicles.
CODEO observers also noted that, some plain-clothed security operatives who wore identification tags with the inscription ‘NSCS’ did not appear to understand the electoral rules and processes and sought to intervene in electoral procedures. Some notable instances are as follows:
At the Presbyterian Church-Abelenkpe (1) polling station, some of these security operatives attempted to turn away some roaming accredited party agents from polling stations when indeed it was the main responsibility of the Presiding Officer to admit or deny access to a polling station;
At the Prisons JHS at Roman Ridge where there were three adjoining polling stations, some men in black attire, who identified themselves as National Security Officers and had accreditation tags with the inscription ‘NSCS OPS Ayawaso West Wuogon,’ positioned themselves close to poll officials.
They were approached by uniformed police personnel who asked them to produce identification materials and to relocate from where they were – an instruction to which they obliged. Minutes later however, a pick-up with well-built men arrived at the polling station and these men rushed aggressively to the police personnel and accosted him for questioning and directing the security operatives to relocate.
St. Anne’s Hospital in Damongo has been put back on the national after being disconnected over its indebtedness to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
If not for a tragedy, the facility would have remained without access to electricity. During the period the hospital had no power, the lives of two babies were lost.
The hospital’s Head of Communications and Clinical Coordinator Dr. Gbeadese Ahmed told Accra-based Citi News that the babies were lost because of the inability of the hospital to get blood from the Blood Bank due to lack of power.
Since the news broke, many Ghanaians have expressed concerns. Their agitations however got government to intervene.
Per reports, constituency’s legislator and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor had a hand in power being restored to the facility.
It is unknown if the hospital’s debt has been cleared or an agreement has been reached.
Meanwhile, the Damongo Fire Service Station, which had also faced disconnection from the power supply a few weeks ago, has been reconnected through the minister’s efforts.
The restoration of electricity aims to prevent such unfortunate incidents and ensure the uninterrupted provision of essential services in the future.
Four individuals in Spain have been arrested on suspicion of hanging an effigy of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior from a bridge back in January.
The incident involved an inflatable doll dressed in a Vinicius shirt, suspended from the railings along with a banner bearing the words “Madrid hates Real Madrid.”
The act took place ahead of Real Madrid’s Copa Del Rey match against local rivals Atletico. Spanish authorities have now confirmed the apprehension of four suspects in connection with the incident.
⚠ÚLTIMA HORA⚠
🚩Detenidas en #Madrid 4 personas que presuntamente colgaron un maniquí con la camiseta de #Vinicius en un puente cercano a la Ciudad Deportiva del @realmadrid
They tweeted: “Arrested in #Madrid 4 people who allegedly hung a mannequin with the #Vinicius shirt on a bridge near the Ciudad Deportiva del @realmadrid.”
The arrests follow the latest racism scandal that has engulfed Spanish football, with Vinicius targeted by racist chants during Sunday’s LaLiga game with Valencia.
The Brazil international threatened to leave the pitch in the second half after being subjected to alleged monkey chants at the Mestalla.
His club Real Madrid said the abuse constitutes a “hate crime” and filed a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office and Vinicius himself has highlighted what he describes as “continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain”.
A cada rodada fora de casa uma surpresa desagradável. E foram muitas nessa temporada. Desejos de morte, boneco enforcado, muitos gritos criminosos… Tudo registrado.
Mas o discurso sempre cai em “casos isolados”, “um torcedor”. Não, não são casos isolados. São episódios… pic.twitter.com/aSCMrt0CR8
Valencia confirmed police had identified a fan who made racist gestures at Vinicius and that individual faces a lifetime stadium ban from the Mestalla.
Vinicius tweeted on Monday night: “Every round away from home is an unpleasant surprise. And there were many this season. Death wishes, hanged doll, many criminal screams… All registered.
“But the speech always falls on ‘isolated cases’, ‘a fan’. No, these are not isolated cases. They are continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain (and even in a television programme).
“The evidence is there in the video. Now I ask: how many of these racists had names and photos exposed on websites? I answer to make it easier: zero. None to tell a sad story or make those fake public apologies.
“What is missing to criminalise these people? And punish clubs sportingly? Why don’t sponsors charge La Liga? Don’t televisions bother to broadcast this barbarity every weekend?
“The problem is very serious and communications no longer work. Not blaming me to justify criminal acts either. You are not football, you are inhuman.”
LaLiga president Javier Tebas responded to an earlier Vinicius post, in which the Brazil international said racism was “normal”, by accusing the forward of “criticising and insulting” the league.
In another tweet on Monday, Tebas said: “Neither Spain nor @LaLiga are racist. It is very unfair to say this.
“How @LaLiga we denounce and fight racism with all rigidity within our competences. This season there were 9 cases of racist insults (8 of them for insults against @vinijr)
“We always identify the violators and take the complaint to the legislating bodies. It doesn’t matter that they are few, they are relentless.
“We cannot allow the image of a competition that is about the symbol of peoples union to be tarnished, where more than 200 players are of black origin in 42 clubs that receive in each round the respect and affection of the fans, being the racism an extremely specific case (9 complaints) that we are going to eliminate.”
Ray Stevenson, a renowned actor recognized for his appearances in popular TV series such as Rome, Vikings, and Dexter, has passed away at the age of 58.
Known for his roles in the Thor films and the Divergent series, as well as numerous UK TV shows including Band of Gold, Peak Practice, and Murphy’s Law, Stevenson’s death was confirmed by his US-based publicist firm, Viewpoint, to the BBC.
No specific details regarding the cause of death have been disclosed, but reports suggest that he was hospitalized while filming on the Italian island of Ischia.
At the time of his passing, Stevenson was involved in the production of an action movie called Cassino in Ischia. The news of his death came just four days before his 59th birthday.
Image caption,Ray Stevenson, pictured in April, at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London
Stevenson was born in Northern Ireland but moved to England when he was eight years old.
His father was stationed with the Royal Air Force (RAF) near Lisburn, County Antrim, at the time of his birth in 1964.
His family relocated to Newcastle upon Tyne and he spent much of his childhood in England.
Ray Stevenson’s passion for acting was ignited when he witnessed John Malkovich’s performance in a play at a West End theater in London.
He pursued his acting education at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and one of his earliest television roles was in the Catherine Cookson drama The Dwelling Place.
Throughout his career, Stevenson graced a diverse array of British TV shows, including Waking the Dead, Dalziel and Pascoe, and At Home with the Braithwaites. In 2004, he portrayed a knight in the Hollywood blockbuster King Arthur, which starred Keira Knightley.
More recently, Stevenson achieved success in prominent American-made TV shows and movies.
He notably portrayed Volstagg in the Thor trilogy and Titus Pullo in HBO’s acclaimed historical drama series Rome. Additionally, Stevenson’s upcoming ventures included the role of Baylan Skoll in the Disney+ series Star Wars: Ashoka.
Stevenson’s co-stars have been paying tribute to the late actor on social media.
English actor James Purefoy, who starred alongside Stevenson in Rome, described him as a “brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim”.
So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.
Rosario Dawson – who will appear in the Ashoka series alongside Stevenson – posted on Instagram to say her co-star was a “giant of a man” whose death left her “stunned and reeling”.
Meanwhile director James Gunn, who was involved in the production of the second Thor film, wrote that the late actor had been a “joy to work with.”
Bear McCreary, the composer who soundtracked the Black Sails TV series, saluted Stevenson’s “mesmerisingly unforgettable” turn as Blackbeard in the programme.
And actor Scott Adkins, who starred alongside Stevenson in Accident Man, sad he was “shocked and saddened by the tragic news”, adding: “I will miss you, Big Ray!”
Buckingham Palace has rejected a request to repatriate the remains of Prince Alemayehu, an Ethiopian prince who was laid to rest at Windsor Castle in the 19th century.
At the age of seven, Prince Alemayehu was brought to the UK as an orphan after his mother passed away during the journey.
Queen Victoria took a personal interest in him and arranged for his education, eventually organizing his burial at Windsor Castle when he tragically passed away at the age of 18.
However, his family has now expressed a desire for his remains to be returned to Ethiopia.
“We want his remains back as a family and as Ethiopians because that is not the country he was born in,” one of the royal descendants Fasil Minas told the BBC.
“It was not right” for him to be buried in the UK, he added.
But in a statement sent to the BBC, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said removing his remains could affect others buried in the catacombs of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
“It is very unlikely that it would be possible to exhume the remains without disturbing the resting place of a substantial number of others in the vicinity,” the palace said.
The statement added that the authorities at the chapel were sensitive to the need to honour Prince Alemayehu’s memory, but that they also had “the responsibility to preserve the dignity of the departed”.
It also said that in the past the Royal Household had “accommodated requests from Ethiopian delegations to visit” the chapel.
Image caption,Prince Alemayehu lived in exile for a decade
The circumstances leading to Prince Alemayehu’s arrival in the UK at such a young age were a result of imperial actions and diplomatic failures.
In 1862, Emperor Tewodros II, the prince’s father, sought to forge an alliance with the UK in an effort to strengthen his empire. However, his letters requesting an audience with Queen Victoria went unanswered, leaving him frustrated and disillusioned.
Driven by anger and impatience, the emperor took matters into his own hands by holding several Europeans, including the British consul, as hostages.
This bold move triggered a massive military expedition, comprising approximately 13,000 British and Indian troops, with the objective of rescuing the captives. Remarkably, an official from the British Museum was also part of this force.
In April 1868, the expedition laid siege to Emperor Tewodros’ mountain fortress at Maqdala, located in northern Ethiopia. Overwhelming the defenses within a matter of hours, the British forces successfully overpowered the stronghold.
The emperor decided he would rather take his own life than be a prisoner of the British, an action that turned him into a heroic figure among his people.
Image caption,A 19th Century engraver imagined the scene when the soldiers discovered Emperor Tewodros II’s body
After the battle, the British plundered thousands of cultural and religious artefacts. These included gold crowns, manuscripts, necklaces and dresses.
Historians say dozens of elephants and hundreds of mules were needed to cart away the treasures, which are today scattered across European museums and libraries, as well as in private collections.
The British also took away Prince Alemayehu and his mother, Empress Tiruwork Wube.
The British may have thought this was to keep them safe and prevent them being captured and possibly killed by Tewodros’ enemies, who were near Maqdala, according to Andrew Heavens, whose book The Prince and the Plunder recounts Alemayehu’s life.
Following his arrival in Britain in June 1868, the prince’s predicament and his status as an orphan elicited the sympathy of Queen Victoria. The two met at the queen’s holiday home on the Isle of Wight, just off England’s south coast.
She agreed to support him financially and put him in the guardianship of Captain Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy, the man who had accompanied the prince from Ethiopia.
Image caption,Captain Speedy became Prince Alemayehu’s guardian
They first lived together on the Isle of Wight and then Captain Speedy took him to other parts of the world, including India.
But it was decided that the prince should have a formal education.
He was sent to the British public school Rugby but he was not happy there. He later moved to the Royal Military College in Sandhurst where he was subjected to bullying.
The prince had a “hankering” to return home, correspondence quoted by Heavens says, but that idea was swiftly quashed.
“I feel for him as if I knew him. He was dislocated from Ethiopia, from Africa, from the land of black people and remained there as if he had no home,” Ethiopian royal descendent Abebech Kasa told the BBC.
Eventually, Alemayehu ended up being tutored in a private home in Leeds. But he became ill, possibly with pneumonia, and at one point refused treatment thinking he had been poisoned.
After a decade in exile the prince died in 1879 at the age of just 18.
His illness had become the subject of articles in the national press and Queen Victoria wrote in her diary of her sadness at his death.
“Very grieved and shocked to hear by telegram, that good Alemayehu had passed away this morning. It is too sad! All alone, in a strange country, without a single person or relative, belonging to him,” she said.
“His was no happy life, full of difficulties of every kind, and was so sensitive, thinking that people stared at him on account of his colour… Everyone is very sorry.”
She then arranged for his burial at Windsor Castle.
Image caption,There are several photographs of Prince Alemayehu including this where he is wearing a hat with the name of the ship, HMS Urgent
Demands that the body should return are not new.
In 2007 the country’s then-President Girma Wolde-Giorgis sent a formal request to Queen Elizabeth II for the body to be sent back, but those efforts proved fruitless.
“We want him back. We don’t want him to remain in a foreign country,” Ms Abebech said.
“He had a sad life. When I think of him I cry. If they agree to return his remains I would think of it as if he came home alive.”
She had hoped that she would get a positive response from newly crowned King Charles III.
“Restitution is used as a way to bring reconciliation, to recognise what was wrong in the past,” says Professor Alula Pankhurst, a specialist in British-Ethiopian relations.
He believes the return of the body would be “a way for Britain to rethink its past. It’s a reflection and coming to terms with an imperial past.”
Real Madrid has labeled the racism directed at Vinicius Jr as a “hate crime” and has taken action by filing a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office.
The Brazilian forward has brought attention to a series of incidents occurring in various cities in Spain, following an alleged racist attack during Real Madrid’s 1-0 LaLiga defeat against Valencia.
Valencia has reported that the police have identified a fan involved in making racist gestures towards Vinicius, and that individual now faces a permanent ban from entering Mestalla stadium.
“Every round away from home is an unpleasant surprise. And there were many this season. Death wishes, hanged doll, many criminal screams… All registered,” Vinicius tweeted on Monday night.
“But the speech always falls on ‘isolated cases’, ‘a fan’. No, these are not isolated cases. They are continuous episodes spread across several cities in Spain (and even in a television programme).
“The evidence is there in the video. Now I ask: how many of these racists had names and photos exposed on websites? I answer to make it easier: zero. None to tell a sad story or make those fake public apologies.
“What is missing to criminalise these people? And punish clubs sportingly? Why don’t sponsors charge La Liga? Don’t televisions bother to broadcast this barbarity every weekend?
“The problem is very serious and communications no longer work. Not blaming me to justify criminal acts either. You are not football, you are inhuman.”
The game was paused after the break as Vinicius pointed out to the referee those who were allegedly abusing him in the stands.
The game was paused after the break as Vinicius pointed out to the referee those who were allegedly abusing him in the stands.
In a strongly-worded statement, his club said: “Real Madrid CF shows its strongest revulsion and condemns the events that took place yesterday against our player Vinicius Junior.
“These facts constitute a direct attack on the coexistence model of our social and democratic state of law.
“Real Madrid considers that such attacks also constitute a hate crime, for which reason it has filed the corresponding complaint with the state attorney general’s office, specifically with the prosecutor’s office against hate crimes and discrimination, so that the facts can be investigated and clear responsibilities.
“Article 124 of the Spanish constitution establishes the functions of the public prosecutor’s office to promote the action of justice in defence of legality and the rights of citizens and the public interest.
“For this reason, and given the seriousness of the events that occurred, Real Madrid has turned to the sate attorney general’s office, without prejudice to its appearance as a private prosecution in the proceedings that are being initiated.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, meanwhile, tweeted: “Zero tolerance for racism in football. Sport is based on the values of tolerance and respect. Hate and xenophobia should have no place in our football or in our society.”
In an earlier statement on Instagram, Vinicius said that racism was “normal” in LaLiga.
He said: “It wasn’t the first time, not the second and not the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga.
“The competition thinks it’s normal, so does the Federation and the opponents encourage it. I am so sorry.
“The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Lionel) Messi, today belongs to the racists.
“A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and I love, but which accepted to export the image to the world from a racist country.
“Sorry for the Spaniards who do not agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.”
LaLiga president Javier Tebas responded to Vinicius’ post on Sunday by accusing the forward of “criticising and insulting” the league.
In another tweet on Monday, Tebas said: “Neither Spain nor @LaLiga are racist. It is very unfair to say this.
“Real Madrid considers that such attacks also constitute a hate crime, for which reason it has filed the corresponding complaint with the state attorney general’s office, specifically with the prosecutor’s office against hate crimes and discrimination, so that the facts can be investigated and clear responsibilities.
“Article 124 of the Spanish constitution establishes the functions of the public prosecutor’s office to promote the action of justice in defence of legality and the rights of citizens and the public interest.
“For this reason, and given the seriousness of the events that occurred, Real Madrid has turned to the sate attorney general’s office, without prejudice to its appearance as a private prosecution in the proceedings that are being initiated.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, meanwhile, tweeted: “Zero tolerance for racism in football. Sport is based on the values of tolerance and respect. Hate and xenophobia should have no place in our football or in our society.”
In an earlier statement on Instagram, Vinicius said that racism was “normal” in LaLiga.
He said: “It wasn’t the first time, not the second and not the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga.
“The competition thinks it’s normal, so does the Federation and the opponents encourage it. I am so sorry.
“The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Lionel) Messi, today belongs to the racists.
“A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and I love, but which accepted to export the image to the world from a racist country.
“Sorry for the Spaniards who do not agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.”
LaLiga president Javier Tebas responded to Vinicius’ post on Sunday by accusing the forward of “criticising and insulting” the league.
In another tweet on Monday, Tebas said: “Neither Spain nor @LaLiga are racist. It is very unfair to say this.
“How @LaLiga we denounce and fight racism with all rigidity within our competences. This season there were 9 cases of racist insults (8 of them for insults against @vinijr)
OFFICIAL STATEMENT | Valencia CF will ban for life the fans who racially abused Vinícius Jr.
The Club strongly condemn this behaviour, which has no place in football and does not correspond to the values of Valencia CF and our fanbase.
“We always identify the violators and take the complaint to the legislating bodies. It doesn’t matter that they are few, they are relentless.
“We cannot allow the image of a competition that is about the symbol of peoples union to be tarnished, where more than 200 players are of black origin in 42 clubs that receive in each round the respect and affection of the fans, being the racism an extremely specific case (9 complaints) that we are going to eliminate.”
A statement released on Monday from Valencia read: “Valencia CF, in line with the club’s permanent commitment against racism and violence in all forms, announce that the police has identified a fan who made racist gestures at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in the Matchday 35 match at Mestalla on May 21st.
“The club are also working along with the police to confirm the identity of any other potential offenders.
“From the moment that the unfortunate events occurred, the club have analysed all the available footage, working alongside the authorities as rapidly as possible to clarify what happened in order to be able to act quickly and forcefully.
“Valencia CF have proceeded to open a disciplinary case, will apply the maximum level of severity, including a lifetime stadium ban against the fans involved, and is working closely together with the authorities.”
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, a former Real colleague of Vinicius and a Brazil team-mate, called for LaLiga to take urgent action and adopt a policy of zero tolerance over racism.
“I feel disappointed and very sad to see, ashamed, how episodes of racism with my team-mate Vinicius Junior are repeated,” Casemiro wrote on Twitter.
“We cannot continue to tolerate this problem that transcends sport, affects the whole of society and goes unpunished. Public condemnation is not enough, punishment is necessary.
“LaLiga must urgently take exemplary measures, because these repeated incidents of racism tarnish the image not only of Spanish football, but also of all world football.”
Jojo Mills-Robertson recognised for his role in ‘Efiewura’ series as Sofo Joe has recounted a scheme executed by someone he regarded as a friend that would have gotten him deported from the United States.
During his initial stay at the US, the Ghanaian actor noted that he did not have in his possession the required documents to make him a legal migrant.
However, he had been saving to ensure he goes through the right process. He decided to have his money saved in his friend’s account (Joe, not his real name) which was later allegedly squandered on his blind side.
“Later when I asked for my money, he kept telling me I shouldn’t worry he will give it to me. Then I told him that he knew I needed the money for some important things but he still told me to be patient.
“One day, he called me that I should come so we go to the bank for my money. With excitement, I sat in the car. When we got to a traffic light, although the red light was on, my friend still crossed on a top speed and I was wondering why,” he said in the local parlance.
A police vehicle then pursued them and finally caught up to them. Before the officer’s arrival, Jojo said “my friend asked me to put my hand on the dashboard because the police there were very disciplined so I obeyed.”
Upon his arrival, the officer is said to have asked why they crossed the red light.
“My friend explained to him that it was a mistake,” he said.
The officer asked for Joe’s driving licence and after a brief investigation, realised the car has no record.
“Don’t we have any illegal thing in our car?” Jojo said the officer then asked. According to him, immediately the question was posed, Joe pointed to him that he is illegal.
“He said ask this gentleman. He does illegal stuff. So, the police said why is he pointing at me when I am not the one driving the car. Then the policeman asked my name and then I mentioned it; then he asked for my documents but I told him I didn’t have; then my friend told him, I’m a criminal, I don’t have papers.”
“But the policeman insisted that even if I don’t have papers, I am not the one driving the car and told my friend that he is not an immigration officer so why did he cross the red light? The policeman added that since you say you’re not involved in illegality and your friend also has no papers, what do we do?” he quizzed.
In the end, he said the policeman gave Joe a citation and asked him not to do that again.
“When we got home, then I told my friend that I want to go and see my nephew in Virginia and he asked me what I was going to do there and I told him I was going to visit him and that was when I never returned again to his house,” he added.
A former Member of Parliament for the Adentan Constituency, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, claims President Akufo-Addo has shown ingratitude towards Alan Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry and a potential flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to Mr Buaben Asamoa, Alan Kyerematen made a significant sacrifice by putting aside his own presidential aspirations to support Akufo-Addo. There was an understanding between them that Akufo-Addo would eventually pass on the leadership of the party to Kyerematen after his tenure, he said.
Buaben Asamoa highlighted an incident during the 2007 and 2008 NPP primaries, where seventeen strong candidates, including twelve cabinet members, vied for the party’s nomination. Alan Kyerematen emerged as the runner-up, with then-Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama coming in third.
Despite his strong position, Kyerematen decided to forego his chance to compete in a runoff against Akufo-Addo. Instead, he expressed his support for Akufo-Addo’s bid in order to promote unity within the party and increase their chances of winning the general elections.
In an interview with Wontumi TV on May 19, 2023, Buaben Asamoa brought these details to light, expressing his concerns about the alleged lack of gratitude shown by President Akufo-Addo towards Kyerematen’s sacrifice and loyalty to the party.
“2007 and 2008, Alan really prepared and that particular primaries I am not sure we will witness its kind in Ghana ever again because it comprises seventeen strong candidates and about twelve of them were all cabinet members, there were a lot of big names who were contesting at that time.
“So, after Kufuor’s tenure, what happened? People accused Kufour of supporting Alan and opposed him that they won’t agree because they wanted Nana Addo, and Kufuor agreed. So, we went to Legon for the primaries and Alan became second among all the big men in the contest.
“That time vice president Alhaji Aliu Mahama, may his soul rest in peace, was third and Alan was second, so they were supposed to go into a run-off but Alan sacrificed it for Akufo-Addo saying, my senior brother Nana Addo, I have given you the go-ahead. So, go and contest for the presidency so that the unity among us and the party will be stronger and for us to win the elections as well so I am sacrificing for you,” he said.
Asamoa alleged that president Akufo-Addo is now supporting a different candidate to succeed him, going against the party’s traditional practice of supporting the runner-up from the previous election.
In addition, Buaben Asamoa pointed out the irony of the situation, recalling that Akufo-Addo himself once criticized former President Kufour for allegedly supporting Alan Kyerematen instead of him during his own bid for the presidency in the 2007, and 2008 primaries.
“But if you check now, his senior brother’s (Akufo-Addo) time is up and he is about to leave, we have heard that he has mounted behind a different candidate to come and contest, and the party is saying that as tradition demands like we used to do in the olden days as we did for you president, and in your own words, you said after Alan sacrificed for you, he has done well, in his own words, so in future when you complete your tenure you will allow Alan to continue because it will be his time ….and we left everything and supported you. But now that it is time for you to act according to the norms, the same thing that you complained about Kufour doing to you, today you are….” he lamented.
Buaben Asamoa highlighted the promise Akufo-Addo made to Kyerematen, where he acknowledged the sacrifice and indicated that when his own tenure came to an end, he would support Kyerematen to lead the party. He then expressed disappointment that Akufo-Addo seemingly reneged on his promise, contrary to the norms and principles of the party.
Former President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, May 22, 2023, gave a speech at the 7th Ghana CEO Summit.
The 7th Ghana CEOs Summit and Expo was held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra.
In his delivery, Mr Mahama touched on a number issues including the banking sector cleanup, the rise in taxation and a shift from production by the government.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has once again faulted government for what he deems as an unjust banking sector clean up exercise meant to shut down a targetted number of financial institutions.
The banking crisis in Ghana led to the revocation of the licenses of more than 400 financial institutions that were licensed under Act, 2016 (Act 930) by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) between 2017 and 2020.
According to Mr Mahama, the flagbearer for the National Democratic Congress, a number of these licenses were revoked out of malice.
Speaking at the 7th Ghana CEO Summit and Expo on Monday, May 22, 2023, the former president said “Indeed for some of these banks, there was no problem – purely politics or personal vendetta.”
“One bank was shutdown solely because its principal shareholder was being investigated for corruption in a case involving a state enterprise,” Mr Mahama said but failed to identify the institution he made mention of.
The Central Bank conducted an Asset Quality Review of banks in 2015 and 2016, which identified several indigenous banks facing significant challenges.
These challenges including high levels of non-performing loans, undercapitalization, and weak corporate governance led to a the banking sector cleanup, which saw BEIGE, Sovereign, Construction, uniBank (owned by former Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor), and Royal Bank merged to form a new entity known as Consolidated Bank of Ghana.
Also more than twenty financial institutions including UT Bank which was owned by Prince Kofi Amoabeng, had their licenses revoked and given to a receivership.
Among other things in his delivery today, the former president suggested that the banking sector cleanup exercise is shrouded in secrecy as government spent more than the estimated amount of GHS4 billion but failed to provide the reason for this.
“I cannot till this day understand why a GHS4 billion problem was made to cost the taxpayers GHS25 billion. These banks were asked to capitalize to GHS400 million and if there were even 10 of them, that would be GHS4 billion and yet with the closure of banks, we incurred a public debt of GHS25 billion guaranteeing depositors account,” he said.
Following the recapitalization of the banks and a new capital requirement, the number of banks in the country reduced from thirty-six to twenty-three.
While delivering his acceptance speech in Tamale a week ago, Mr Mahama registered his interest in providing the opportunity for experience banking hands – thousands of them who were laid off to secure their careers back once again and “move from the menial jobs that they were forced into with the closure of the indigenous banks.”
“As a further assurance as far as practicable, and not note, as far as practicable, licenses that were unjustly canceled by this government will be restored,” he first made the allegation.
According to Mr Mahama, one of the objectives of the next NDC government will be to promote robust local participation in the banking and financial, telecommunication, tourism, mining and agric and manufacturing sectors to grow the economy and create sustainable employment for the youths.
But in the interim as the NDC remains in opposition, he has entreated the government to “be apolitical in how it deals with businesses.”
“It must create an environment where it allows businesses no matter their political ethnic or other colorations to thrive,” the former president noted.
In a bid to ensure food security for the next five years, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is set to introduce a new program aimed at boosting food production in the country.
The upcoming program, called the Input Credit System, is scheduled to begin in June, pending approval from Cabinet. It will provide crucial support to farmers by offering agricultural inputs under the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.
Minister Bryan Acheampong, the Minister of Agriculture, revealed this development during the launch of the Sustain Africa Initiative in Tema. The initiative, founded by Rabobank, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), International Fertilizer Association (IFA), and the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), aims to improve the availability, affordability, and sustainable use of fertilizers in Africa.
The minister emphasized the government’s unwavering commitment to achieving optimal results in the agricultural sector. The new program aims to benefit farmers across all scales, starting from large-scale farmers down to multi-crop mixed farmers.
By implementing the Input Credit System and supporting farmers with necessary agricultural inputs, the government aims to enhance food production and ensure food security in the country.
“In the end, we want farmers and farming to be organized so that they can have the desired relevance in the food security inventory,” he added.
He indicated that the new system would reduce the production cost borne by farmers by about 85 percent, with a total of about 3.5million farmers in the country ultimately expected to benefit from the programme.
Mr Acheampong explained that with the new programme, the government was moving away from the current subsidy programme, which only catered for 15 percent of the production cost of farmers.
“Prices of inputs and machinery contribute about 85 percent of the cost of production for a farmer. The previous subsidy programme we had was taking care of only 15 percent of that cost of production,” he noted.
He indicated that one of the key goals of the programme was to lower the entry barrier into agriculture to enable more people, particularly, the youth to go into agriculture.
The minister added that the new system would also allow farmers to get the fertilizers they want at more affordable prices.
Mr. Acheampong, who is also the MP for Abetifi in the Eastern Region, indicated that the ministry had identified 10 crops and poultry for the country’s food security strategy, and each of them had its strategy, targets and plan under the programme.
“With the new programme we are going to facilitate ETG (one of the partners of the Sustain Africa Initiative) to provide fertilizers and seeds to farmers and get paid after the planting season. The crops will be traded at the Ghana Commodity Exchange and delays in payments will be a thing of the past,” he stated.
Providing some projections, the minister indicated that prices of inputs and fertilizers such as Ammonia and NPK (23:10:5) would record significant decreases of about 30 to 50 percent once the programme is rolled out, and that would help farmers save money and increase production.
He appealed to all fertilizer producers, suppliers and partners in the country to emulate ETG and reduce the prices of their fertilizers; “we know the dollars is coming down, the production sources are stable, let us bring the prices of fertilizers down so that farmers can benefit and prices will be cheap and stable for our food security, food resilience and food availability.
The minister expressed appreciation to ETG for its support to the agric sector in the country.
The Kumawu Constituency will in less than 24 hours hold a by-election to elect a new Member of Parliament following the unfortunate passing of the incumbent MP.
The late Philip Basoah, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), passed away on Monday, March 27 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after being admitted for a serious illness.
According to Solomon Basoah, the brother of the deceased MP, Philip Basoah was discovered unconscious in his room on March 24 and was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he unfortunately passed away four days later.
On May 20, the late Philip Basoah, representing the Kumawu constituency in the Ashanti Region, was laid to rest.
As the Electoral Commission prepares to conduct the by-election within the next 24 hours, several candidates are vying to replace Philip Basoah in parliament.
Ernest Yaw Anim
Ernest Yaw Anim emerged as the chosen candidate to represent the party in the Kumawu constituency seat after securing 195 votes, surpassing his rivals, including Ama Serwaa and three others.
As the candidate, Ernest Yaw Anim has been assigned the number one position on the ballot paper.
Confident in his abilities, Ernest Yaw Anim aims to unite party members in the constituency and secure a victory for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming by-election. The Kumawu Parliamentary seat has traditionally been held by the NPP.
Ernest Yaw Anim is widely regarded as the frontrunner and is expected to win the support of the Kumawu Constituency.
Akwasi Amankwa
Akwasi Amankwa, popularly known as ‘Tom Cee,’ has been officially nominated by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to run as their parliamentary candidate in the upcoming by-election on May 23, 2023.
Akwasi Amankwa is believed to be the brother of Dr. Kwabena Duffour, a former Finance Minister.
On the ballot paper, Akwasi Amankwa has been assigned the second position.
With this nomination, Akwasi Amankwa aims to lead the NDC and contest for the parliamentary seat, bringing his experience and perspective to the campaign.
Independent Candidate Kwaku Duah
Kwaku Duah has chosen to run as an independent candidate. In 2020 he contested the deceased MP election.
Mr Duah came second in the 2020 contest with a total valid vote of 11,698, representing 39.96% of the total votes, as against Mr Basoah who won the race with 14,960 valid votes, representing 51.11%.
He is seeking to join parliament as an independent candidate on May 23 after the by-elections.
Kwaku Duah is number 3 on the ballot paper.
Kwaku Duah
Another candidate bearing the name Kwaku Duah joined the contest as an independent candidate for the Kumawu Constituency.
Relatively unknown to the electorate until the declaration of his intent to contest in the election, Kwaku Duah is seeking to join parliament as the MP for Kumawu Constituency.
Six individuals have been remanded in police custody by the Tema District Court in connection with the death of Charles Martey Odam in Adjumador, a town near Afienya in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.
The accused individuals, as reported by The Chronicles newspaper on May 18, 2023, are George Martey (67), a farmer; Nelson Anum Martey (59), a mechanic; Nii Marteye Martey Nathaniel (39), a businessman; Michael Martey Morrison (35), a businessman; Thomas Martey (34), a freelance writer; and Daniel Martey (35), a welder. All of them are residents of Adjumador.
During the court proceedings presided over by Her Ladyship Siran Mahama, the prosecutor presented a brief summary of the case. The complainant, Martey Samuel Mensah, is a building contractor, while the deceased, aged 70, was a pensioner who resided in an eight-bedroom self-contained house in Adjumador.
According to the report, the complainant, the accused individuals, and the deceased are all relatives of the Changha Martey Family in Adjumador, with the deceased serving as the family head. The report further stated that George Martey, one of the deceased’s brothers, had expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership of the family.
As a result, the accused individuals allegedly subjected the deceased to unfounded abuse and threats. The deceased shared a room with his 27-year-old daughter, Judith Merley Martey, who works as a pharmacy assistant.
The newspaper went on to narrate that on November 1, 2022, during the day, all the accused people, aside from Daniel Martey and the witnesses Elizabeth Tetteh and Samuel Narh, appeared before the Tema Community 8 Police regarding a plot of land that was the subject of an investigation involving the accused people and the witnesses.
At the time of investigation by the police of the Community 8 station, George Martey announced himself as the family head of the Changha Martey Family of Adjumador.
Elizabeth Tetteh, who is the witness in the case, disclosed that the deceased was rather the family head and not George Martey. This led to exchanges between them.
The police scheduled them for another meeting on November 4, 2022, for George to produce his family head, Charles Martey Odam, who is now deceased.
The newspaper chronicled the series of events that transpired leading to the killing and subsequent arrest of the six persons below:
On November 1, 2022, Michael Martey Morrison, in the afternoon, contacted the complainant on the phone and registered his displeasure about the family headship and demanded to have a meeting with the complainant and the deceased.
On November 2, 2022, at 1:00 am, the witness, Judith Martey, was awakened by a sound from a gunshot but did not know the actual direction from which the gun was fired.
She woke up around 4:00 am, the usual time she began her daily chores and prepared to take her son to school and continued to Afienya, her workplace.
On the same day, at about 11:00 am, Judith received a phone call from her uncle, Quarshie Isaac Martey, to the effect that masons working for her father (deceased) had gone to the house to work but were unable to find her father.
Both Judith and Isaac rushed home, opened the deceased’s door, and found his lifeless body by the side of his bed in a pool of blood.
A complaint was lodged, and investigations were initiated. Two spent cartridges were retrieved behind the deceased’s bedroom window.
Police preliminary investigation disclosed that the death of the deceased was a result of the dispute over who becomes the rightful person to be the head of the family.
Crime Scene experts who visited the scene picked fingerprints and other evidence which are yet to be matched with those of the suspects.
Achievers Pharmacy and Medical Center in Obuasi has received clearance to resume its operations after being temporarily shut down by a group claiming to act on instructions from the Pharmacy Council in Kumasi.
This news comes as a great relief to the patrons, staff, and management of Achievers Medical Centre, who have been affected by the closure for the past two weeks.
The closure of the pharmacy had sparked media reports, with allegations of the Pharmacy Council‘s “unlawful” actions.
It was claimed that the closure was due to the pharmacy’s failure to pay a penalty of GH¢3,500 for a delayed license renewal by eight days.
Philip Anokye, the Chief Executive Officer of Achievers Pharmacy and Medical Center, deemed this closure to be a violation of the principles of natural justice.
In response, the company’s board of directors instructed their lawyers to write to the Pharmacy Council in Kumasi, seeking explanations for the situation.
The good news now is that the management of Achievers Pharmacy and Medical Center has received clearance to reopen the pharmacy and continue providing their wholesale and retail services.
Interacting with the media after a meeting, CEO Philip Anokye said the decision by the Council is a vindication of their stance all along, saying they did not breach any of the regulations by the Council so were surprised that on 3rd of May, one Amoh with two police officers wielding guns purported to have been sanctioned by the Pharmacy Council in Kumasi, forced and closed down Achievers Pharmacy shop.
Board of Directors of the company upon their checks revealed that the men who came to close down the shop again on 4th of May, 2023 were not from the Ghana Pharmacy Council in Accra (as they claimed), but believed that they were working on the behest of somebody from the Council in Kumasi since the Director of the Pharmacy Council in Accra, confirmed to have not sanctioned that operation.
“We wish to express our profound gratitude to Dr. Audu Rauf, the Registrar, Pharmacy Council in Accra for taking keen interest in the case, intervening and making sure justice is served.”
Achievers Pharmacy and Medical Center has recalled the over 20 working staff back to duty and they promise to continue to discharge their duties responsibly by providing quality healthcare services to their clients in and around Obuasi.
Achievers Pharmacy and Medical Center was established in 2018 and has been providing both pharmaceutical and laboratory services.
The Bank of Ghana’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to maintain the policy rate at 29.5%, marking the first time since July 2022 that it remains unchanged.
Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison explained that the tight monetary policy through additional liquidity management operations to address excess liquidity conditions in the market, relative stability in the local currency, and easing of ex-pump petroleum prices have supported the disinflation process.
He added that the Bank of Ghana has signed the Memorandum of Understanding on zero financing to the budget to eliminate fiscal dominance and allow for a faster ease in inflation towards the target band.
With an unchanged policy rate, the cost of credit is expected to remain high with the average lending rate going for about 31.5%.
Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that the Bank of Ghana will continue to pursue a tight monetary policy until inflation shows a consistent downward trend.
Under the programme, the focus will be on implementing monetary and exchange rate policies aimed at curbing inflation and rebuilding foreign reserve buffers.
Since July 2022, the policy rate has gone up by 10.5 percent.
As part of his visit to the Northern Region to mark this year’s EU month celebration, Irchad Razaaly, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, paid a respectful visit to Ya-Na Abukari (II), the Overlord of Dagbon, at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi.
The purpose of the courtesy call was for the EU Ambassador to explore potential avenues for supporting EU businesses interested in investing in the region. Additionally, he sought the support of the Overlord of Dagbon in fostering such investments.
During the visit to the Palace, Mr. Razaaly underscored the significance of collaboration between theEU and traditional authorities. He highlighted the importance of partnership in areas such as culture and the creative industry, aiming to promote cultural heritage, peace, and employment opportunities for the youth.
He said, “This visit is not only to boost culture and employment opportunities, but also to strengthen the bilateral relations between Ghana and the EU.”
Ya-Na Abukari (II) commended the EU Ambassador for the visit and called on him to prioritise skills development programmes for the youth to enable them secure sustainable jobs and businesses.
Furthermore, the EU Ambassador sought support in the agricultural sector to enhance production and ensure food security within the region.
During his visit to the Northern Region, the EU Ambassador aimed to engage with key stakeholders, including traditional authorities and representatives from the entertainment industry. The objective was to foster partnerships that promote culture, create employment opportunities, and generate wealth, particularly among the youth.
Tragedy has hit the people ofJaklai, Yeji, as a 12-year-old boy named David Tsitor drowned in the Volta Lake.
The incident occurred on Sunday, May 21, 2023, with the news reaching residents at around 9:30 am.
According to witnesses at the scene, the young boy, along with two companions, had gone to the water’s edge to fetch water when the unfortunate incident took place.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the boys ventured onto the lake using a canoe and began playing.
However, the situation quickly turned dire when the canoe owner noticed their presence and attempted to flee. In a panic, the boys jumped into the water. While two of them were successfully rescued, tragically, David Tsitor drowned.
Community leader Godwin Kedzi shared these details, highlighting the efforts made to rescue the boys and the sorrow felt by the community. Godwin Awudi, the Assemblyman for Yeji Traditional Council Electoral Area, commended the swift response of the search party involved in the incident.
Addressing the ongoing concern, Awudi expressed his worries about the increasing frequency of drowning incidents in the area.
He emphasized the need to implement measures to prevent children from swimming in the lake, taking steps to enhance safety and prevent further tragedies.
On April 30, 2023, rescuers in the Oti region’s Krachi West Municipality retrieved the bodies of a man and woman who were believed to have drowned when their canoe capsized on Volta Lake.
Two teenage siblings and their friend also drowned in the White Volta River at Naaga, a community in the Kassena Nankana Municipality in the Upper East Region.
The unfortunate incident happened around 3 pm on Saturday, April 15, 2023.
The deceased, two boys and one girl, were among eight teenagers between the ages of 11 and 17 who had gone to wash mangoes and swim in the river.
They reportedly went to get mango fruits from a big mango tree close to the river in the community since they were not allowed to take mangoes belonging to neighbours in the area.
After successfully plucking the mangoes, they decided to go into the river to wash the fruits.
In the process, they all jumped into the river to swim.
Unfortunately, they drifted towards the deep part of the river.
Five of them managed to swim back to the riverside, but the river carried away three others.
The unionized employees of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) are donning red attire as they stage a protest against a directive from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The directive calls for the removal of certain allowances that the employees have been receiving, but are deemed ineligible for.
In a letter addressed to the Controller and Accountant General, the Chief Executive of the Commission, Ing. Benjamin Arthur, instructed the discontinuation of these allowances that some staff members have been enjoying for several years.
This development comes as a result of the Nationwide Payroll Monitoring Exercise initiated by the Commission in April. The protesting employees are expressing their discontent and seeking to address the situation through their demonstration.
“Staff of GBC who have received the unearned allowances amounting to Two Million, Eighty-Four Thousand and Twenty Ghana Cedis (GH¢2,084,020.00) per annum should be made to refund the allowances in the appropriate GoG Suspense Account,” Ing. Arthur’s letter dated Thursday, April 20 instructed.
Reacting to this on the station’s The Breakfast Show today, Chairman of GBC Divisional Union Sam Nat questioned the Chief Executive of the Commission, over how it drew that conclusion without engaging any stakeholder.
He noted that should the Commission’s request be executed, the lives of more will become unbearable.
He therefore demanded that “by the end of this month our allowances have to be intact” to prevent the GBC from having further challenges.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Senior Staff Management Union Tahiru Abdul-Razak Mohamed said salaries of senior staff have rather reduced by 33 percent over the years.
He said 70 percent of current Directors are Deputy Directors working in acting positions.
Therefore, he said the Acting Directors are earning what is due them based on their duties.
The workers stormed the studios to serve notice of their demands and threaten to disrupt the peaceful work environment.
Assistant Immigration Control Officer II (AICO II) Nurideen Abdul-Ganiew Takra has been promoted to the rank of AICO I by the Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi (Esq). The promotion ceremony took place at the Immigration National Headquarters in Accra.
Takra’s promotion is a result of his courageous intervention in saving the lives of two policemen who were attacked near an Anglican Church in Sefwi Wiawso. His swift response received significant commendation.
During a visit to AICO I Takra’s post in Sefwi Wiawso, Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi (Esq) expressed his gratitude to the Western North Regional Police Command for recognizing and appreciating the brave officer.
The National Immigration Management Committee, represented by the CGI, deemed Takra’s promotion and awards well-deserved, considering the crucial role of law enforcement in safeguarding lives and property.
Mr. Takyi thanked the elated Officer on behalf of the GIS, all security agencies and Ghana as a whole, and encouraged him to continue to serve selflessly and professionally.
The Comptroller General of Immigration, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi (right) decorating AICO I Nurideen Abdul-Ganiew Takra
The Director of the Migration Unit at the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Dominic Afriyie Agyemang speaking on behalf of the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, described the act of overcoming fear to save the lives of two policemen and onlookers as heroic and praiseworthy.
Mr. Agyemang bemoaned recent horrific incidents that resulted in the deaths of some officers, stating that, “the recent murders of the young military man at Ashaiman and an Immigration Officer at Bawku are still fresh in our memories, but should not deter officers from fighting for peace and unity for our country.”
He said AICO I Takra’s intervention prevented a bloodbath that would have killed both the officers and the church members who were terrified at the scene.
He described the intervention as a display of bravery, valour and selflessness towards the State.
Representative of the Inspector General of Police at the event, Director-General of the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD), Commissioner of Police (COP) Francis Ebenezer Doku expressed appreciation on behalf of the entire Police Service to AICO I Takra for the heroic act.
AICO I Nurideen Abdul-Ganiew Takra (middle) flanked by the CGI Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi (immediate left) and the Deputy Comptroller Generals of Immigration
COP Doku called on other security agencies, especially the GIS and the Ghana Police Service to strengthen partnerships and develop a better sense of solidarity since they shared a common goal of maintaining peace and order.
In addition to the promotion, AICO I Takra was awarded a plaque, a certificate and a citation in recognition of his heroism.
The Comptroller General of Immigration, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi during his address
The valiant Officer, in appreciation of the honour given him pledged his continual dedication to the core values of the GIS, which include professionalism, integrity and respect for human rights. He was quick to express thanks to Allah for giving him the courage to save the day.
Also joining the GIS to honour AICO I Takra were the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Mr. Julius A. Kuunuor, the Director General of Prisons, Mr. Isaac Kofi Egyir, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Madam Faustina Agyeiwaa, and a representative of the Commissioner of Customs, Assistant Commissioner Eric Bonney.
Tony Mwaba Kazadi, the Minister of Education for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been accused of impregnating his Deputy Minister, Aminata Namasia.
Kazadi has defended himself by claiming that the pregnancy was unplanned.
According to The Heritage Times, both ministers are married and were allegedly engaged in an extramarital affair with each other.
The affair came to public attention when a journalist named Lungila John shared the details on Twitter. The revelation of the affair and the subsequent pregnancy has caused a scandal in the DRC, quickly spreading across various social media platforms.
However, it is worth noting that earlier this month, Namasia refuted the allegations made against her.
“Beyond my official and public duties, I have a personal life that deserves respect from everyone. It is a right guaranteed to all Congolese citizens by our Constitution. Tarnishing my reputation should not be tolerated. In fact, it could not only harm my own commitments but also the reputation of my married male colleagues and their families,” Namasia was quoted as saying by Fox Times.
“As we approach the upcoming elections scheduled for December this year, political critics are welcome to challenge my political opinions and actions instead of resorting to tactics that aim to defame me.”
The future remains uncertain for Kazadi and Namasia as they have not made any public statements regarding the recent allegations. The DRC government has yet to address the situation, leaving open the possibility of their dismissal from their positions.
Namasia was appointed as the Minister of Education by Prime Minister Sama Lukonde on April 12, 2021, joining Tony Mwaba Kazadi, who had been appointed two months earlier in February.
However, the current circumstances surrounding their alleged affair and pregnancy may impact their tenure in their respective roles.
Following the opposition protests that took place in the capital city of Kinshasa on Saturday, security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have detained approximately 20 individuals.
The Congolese National Police (PNC) reported that among those arrested were individuals suspected of vandalizing the Kianza police station.
“Three police officers were arrested as a result of the brutality inflicted on the demonstrators and on a minor,” Actualite CD website reported.
Police said at least 27 law enforcement forces were injured, three of whom were in serious condition.
A journalist was also beaten up “by a gang of overexcited protesters”, Actualite CD said.
She expressed her weariness of entertaining and catering to strangers or individuals with whom she may never engage again until the next social invitation comes along.
Former lover of Funny Face, Vanessa Nicole has indicated that it has been more than a year since the comedian spent some time with their children.
The duo split up in 2020 and have three children. According to Nicole, she has at no point in time refused Funny Face the opportunity to see his children.
On the contrary, she stated that should Funny Face request to see his children, she would oblige. But as it stands now, her children have not had their father in their lives for over a year.
“It’s been over a year since Funny Face saw his kids. The last time was when we came to see him in Accra. I am never selfish, if you know me, you can testify. I will love to hear him say, bring over the kids during vacation. I will let them go if he makes that request, I don’t have a problem. We don’t have bad blood, this is not to say that I want us back,” she said.
She stressed that “all I want is for us to be co-parents.”
Recounting whatever made their relationship fail, Nicole blamed this on their impatience. She said they had both failed to give themselves enough time to study each other.
“We all made mistakes. We are to be partly blamed, I wasn’t patient, so was he. We didn’t take time to steady and know each other better. We met in September and I was pregnant in October, we are both at fault. Aside from everything, I just wish for the best,” she disclosed in an interview with Kwaku Manu.
Vanessa who took a break from acting to care for her children announced that she is back into the business. She opened up about how the public continues to associate Funny Face with her, which she said does not upset her.
“To date, people see me a call Funny Face’s name. I am not bothered and of course, we share children.
“It is normal, I can’t say I am stonehearted but I wouldn’t let you take me for a ride. I will stand up for myself. I can be a fool for the person I love but I won’t let you overdo it,” she hammered.
The young mother of four daughters also shared how pain pushed her to have multiple tattoos. With close to 20 tattoos, she mentioned that each one of them has a story behind it.
“I have multiple tattoos and piercings, I just love it…do what pleases you and not humans…when my children come of age and want to have piercings or tattoos I will not fight it.”
Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency has made a significant seizure of methamphetamine, amounting to 30kg and valued at $1.2 million (£960,000), which was intended to be shipped to the United Kingdom via Lagos’ main airport.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) revealed in a statement on Sunday that the methamphetamine was concealed within containers of powdered custard, forming part of a consolidated cargo destined for London.
During the operation, the NDLEA arrested three individuals, including the suspected drug baron Charles Chinedu Eze, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Following a search, detectives discovered Mr. Eze’s personal identification documents, leading them to seize his property located in the upscale Lekki suburb.
According to reports, the main suspect had allegedly fled the United Kingdom in December 2022, following his suspected involvement in a drug-related offense. As of now, Mr. Eze has not responded to the allegations made against him.
In a straightforward manner, Manchester City celebrated their latest Premier League title triumph with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday.
Having already secured the title due to Arsenal’s loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Pep Guardiola’s Treble-chasing side took to the field at the Etihad Stadium amidst a festive atmosphere.
Despite fielding a much-changed lineup, City delighted their fans with an early goal from Julian Alvarez.
While Chelsea had a few bright moments, City never seemed to relinquish control, although they couldn’t replicate the intensity they displayed in their midweek victory over Real Madrid. The fans were in a celebratory mood, basking in the sunshine and even performing the famous ‘Poznan’ celebration on multiple occasions.
As City entered the field, they were honored with a guard of honour from their opponents. The Blues were left chasing shadows as City confidently moved the ball around, highlighting the gap between the two teams.
It was only a matter of time before the opening goal arrived, and it came in the 12th minute. City won possession in midfield, and Cole Palmer found Alvarez in front of the goal.
The Argentinian World Cup winner took a touch before unleashing a powerful shot across Kepa Arrizabalaga, marking City’s 100th home goal in all competitions this season.
Chelsea struggled to match City’s pace and precision, mirroring their disappointing end to the season under temporary manager Frank Lampard. Former City forward Raheem Sterling attempted to rally the Blues, making promising runs behind the City defense, but he failed to find a teammate on one occasion and had his shot saved by Stefan Ortega on another.
Conor Gallagher came close to equalizing when he headed against the post from a cross by Lewis Hall.
Overall, it was a dominant display by Manchester City, who showcased their superiority and celebrated their fifth Premier League title in six seasons. Chelsea, on the other hand, were left facing a challenging afternoon and a reminder of the gap they aspire to bridge.
Yet City always seemed in command and Phil Foden was only narrowly off-target with an attempted chip and Kalvin Phillips, finally making his first league start for the champions, blasted wide.
Phillips was inches away from getting on the scoresheet after the break when he met a Riyad Mahrez free-kick with a firm header but it rebounded off the foot of the post.
At the other end, Hall and Sterling both shot at Ortega. Sterling had another effort cleared off the line by City substitute John Stones, although an offside flag was raised anyway.
Alvarez thought he had claimed a second with just under 20 minutes remaining but Mahrez controlled the ball with his arm before teeing up the Argentinian.
With it being City’s last home match of the season, star pair Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne were given a run-out in the latter stages. Rodri also came off the bench as City closed out their 12th successive Premier League win.
Thousands of fans invaded the pitch after the final whistle, delaying the trophy presentation.
After the celebrations subside, City have further league games at Brighton and Brentford before they play the FA Cup and Champions League finals next month.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper West Akim, Fredrick Obeng Adom, has cut sod for the construction of a rural telephony project at Asuokaw.
Owurakesim, Kofikyere, Keteyensua, Nkorkor and Wina are among the communities expected to benefit from the project when completed.
The sod cutting ceremony took place last Friday, May 19, 2023.
Addressing the gathering at Asuokaw, Mr Obeng Adom promised to ensure the completion of the project in the shortest possible time.
“This is great for me, for you and for us all. We will have this project completed to ensure that we all enjoy our phone calls, text messages and everything that has do with telephony.”
“I promise to ensure it completed in earnest for the benefit of all of us,” he said.
Present at the ceremony were Barima Kwame Ofori II, chief of Asuokaw; the DCE for the area, Eugene Sackey; the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Constituency Secretary, Rahman Ganiyu; the Elections Officer, Magid Nurudeen, and the Assistant Secretary, Osafo Abednego.
Officials of GIFEC who have also been essential in the project materializing were also present to ensure necessary materials and equipment needed for the immediate commencement of the project were delivered.
The flooding situation that hits major parts of Ghana whenever it rains nearly claimed the life of an individual at Gbawe.
On Thursday, Accra witnessed heavy rainfall for over five hours which made commuting nearly impossible as major portions of the road were engulfed by water and filfth.
At Gbawe, per a video circulating on social media, a man got sucked into a drain.
Concerned for his life, some five men rushed to his aid and it took close to a minute for them to pull him to safety.
It was however did not come easily as the rushing brownish torrent kept fighting their efforts.
After being rescued the men was allowed to catch his breath.
It has become the norm that whenever there is a downpour, properties have to be destroyed and lives have to be lost.
One of the most recent casualties occurred on Tuesday dawn March 7, 2023, when flood swept away two children at Babadongo near Bortianor in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
Ghanaian musician, Gyakie, has issued an apology to her fans in the UK and Paris for canceling several upcoming shows scheduled for later this month.
Taking to social media, Gyakie shared that she is currently unwell and emphasized the importance of prioritizing her health before taking on additional projects.
Expressing her reluctance to postpone the shows, she acknowledged the necessity of focusing on her well-being.
Gyakie assured her fans that the tickets they purchased will remain valid, and she promised to announce a new date for the shows in the near future.
“My lovely people, your girl is not well, fighting everything to get better for my shows this week but I can’t fight myself no matter how hard I try. Hate to postpone but all purchased tickets are valid for the new dates which will be communicated in no time. However, I hope to be fit enough to see yall at the festivals I’ll be performing at. I luv you” she shared on her Insta stories.
Gyakie was expected to perform at the Gyakie Live in UK concert scheduled for May 18th at Gorilla Manchester.
On May 19th she was also expected to perform at LaFayette London, May 20th at O2 Institute Birmingham, and conclude on May 26th in Paris.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has noted that it’s been engaging with Surfline over its operations and service outage.
These engagements have been to ensure the company resolve issues concerning its indebtedness to its service providers and also publish information on its service outage to its subscribers.
“Ensure that customers who have purchased data plans do not lose their data, and where applicable, appropriate compensation paid by Surfline to customers for any loss of service,” the NCA added.
On the possibility of things going south, the NCA and Surfline looked at the “commence the process to initiate bulk-delinking of Surfline SIMs from the Central SIM Database in the event the company fails to resume its operations and in relation to this, enable consumers to keep only their registered active SIMs.”
These conversations have been going on for several months after a formal communication by the company to shut down its Radio Access Network due to some operational challenges.
NCA has assured the general public, particularly subscribers of Surfline of its sustained commitment to protect the interest of all users of telecommunications services as well as stakeholders within the Industry.
Rihanna is taking a nostalgic journey. In anticipation of her second baby, the renowned Grammy-winning singer has taken to Instagram to reminisce about her first pregnancy by sharing maternity photos.
The captivating pictures portray RiRi standing against a picturesque ocean backdrop, exuding confidence as she dons a string bikini bottom, stylish snake-skin heels, and adorned with pieces of gold jewelry.
“Here’s a little series I call ‘Rub on ya titties; in honor of my first pregnancy, embracing motherhood like a g, and the magic that this body made!” she captioned the Instagram carousel.
“Baby RZA… he in there not having a clue how nuts his mama is, or how obsessed he bout to make me #maternityshoot2022 #tobecontinued.”
Two Tunisian students who were detained for their involvement in a satirical song that criticized the police have been released by a Tunisian court.
The court’s decision came following a call from President Kais Saied, who deemed their detention “unacceptable” in light of the public outcry.
Youssef Chelbi, 27, and Dhia Nsir, 26, had shared a video on TikTok and Facebook that scrutinized the treatment of detainees by the police and voiced opposition to laws concerning drug use.
Their arrest triggered widespread online criticism, with many Tunisians sharing the song in solidarity.
This year, there has been a surge in the arrests of prominent figures who oppose President Saied, as he has governed by decree since assuming power in 2021.
On Thursday, numerous journalists staged a demonstration to protest what they perceive as repressive anti-terror laws aimed at intimidating the media.
Holding signs outside the national journalists’ union headquarters, they asserted that press freedom is crucial for preserving liberty.
Lawyer Kwame Gyantuah, the Chairman of the Political Affairs Committee of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), is calling for transparency regarding the utilization of the first tranche of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, as Ghana prepares to receive it today.
While the government is hopeful that this funding will positively impact the lives of many Ghanaians, the Minority in Parliament holds a differing view.
During an interview on the Weekend Review Segment on Starr FM, Kwame Gyantuah emphasized the need for transparency and raised questions about why the government has not taken adequate measures to transform the economy.
As the loan is set to be received, Gyantuah’s demand for clarity on the specific utilization of funds underscores the importance of accountability and ensuring that the loan is effectively and efficiently utilized for the betterment of the nation.
“… I heard the Finance Minister when he said the IMF $600 first tranche that is coming we are going to use it for government programmes, what programmes? Like before, oh, we are using it for X, but we are doing Y. You don’t delve deep into the nitty gritty for people to understand. You have to delve into it.
“We are getting $604 million between now and the next tranche that will come in, number one, number two, number three…this is how we will expend it, these are some of the returns we are looking. Has that been done, has that been told us? Should that transparency not start, because you say this IMF thing that is coming in is to build confidence in the economy, that confidence in the economy where should it start from? shouldn’t it start locally? why is it that we are always thinking of international and we are thinking of going back to the bond market and get loans, why?” Kwame Gyantuah asked.
John Dramani Mahama, the Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), is set to join the party’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, in the Sekyere Kumawu constituency today to intensify their campaign efforts leading up to the Kumawu by-election on May 23, 2023.
The NDC has been actively campaigning in the constituency, with Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Organizer Joseph Yamin, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, and other party executives tirelessly working day and night. Their aim is to capture the Kumawu Parliamentary seat from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has held it since 1992.
In an interview with GHone news, National Organizer Joseph Yammin expressed confidence in the party’s chosen candidate, stating that they have selected a strong contender who appeals to voters across all political affiliations.
The NDC is determined to secure victory in the upcoming by-election and strengthen their position in the constituency.
“Our candidate is a local man who is a direct relative of the late Philip Basoa. After campaigning with him in the constituency I’m confident we will win the seat.”
He added, “The NPP achievements in the Sekyere Kumawu district in the last 6-7 years is the overnight construction of roads to buy votes in the by-election. They have nothing to show in the district. We were building a district hospital for the district which was about 70% complete, they have abandoned the project. We gave Kumawu potable drinking water for the first time. What can the NPP show in the constituency as Government in power for Kumawu?” he asked.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Party Bernard Antwi Boasiako Boasiako also known as Wontumi has for the past 7 days relocated to the constituency with his team to campaign in the constituency.
He has been moving from house to house to ensure his party wins the election.
National Chairman of the party Stephen Ntim, National Organizer Nana Boakye, Chief of Staff Fremah Opare, Kennedy Agyapong among others are some big wigs of the party that joined the Wontumi-led campaign team in the constituency to campaign for the party.
Minister of Roads and Highways Kwasi Amoako Attah who inspected overnight road construction work in the constituency also denied constructing roads overnight to canvas for votes ahead of the election.
He explained the roads project was influenced by the late member of Parliament Philip Atta Basoah.
“We are not constructing Kumawu district roads because of the by-election. It was part of the project we were doing in Kwabere East constituency. It is rather unfortunate that the project started three days after the demise of the MP. We are constructing the project to honor him for his work for the party and his constituency,” the Minister stated.
Police in Nigeria have successfully rescued two kidnapped US embassy staff without any harm after a recent attack that claimed the lives of seven other individuals who were traveling in the same convoy.
The attack took place on Tuesday in the district of Ogbaru, located in the south-eastern part of the country. This particular area has been placed under a curfew for the past year due to safety concerns.
According to a local official, the assailants opened fire on the vehicles and set them ablaze, resulting in the victims being burnt beyond recognition.
The identity of the gunmen remains unclear at this time. However, some officials have attributed the attack to Igbo separatist fighters associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), a group known to operate in the region. Ipob has not responded to these allegations as of yet.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who leaves office later this month after pledging and failing to end Nigeria’s security crisis, says his government is “committed to fishing out” the culprits behind Tuesday’s attack.
No US citizen was among the victims and there are “no indications at this time that it was targeted against our mission”, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Of the seven people killed on Tuesday, three were Nigerian staff at the US embassy and four were security escorts. The two people who were abducted, then released, have not been publicly identified by police.
“Operations are still ongoing and further details shall be communicated,” says Anambra state police spokesman Ikenga Tochukwu.
Ghana’s Financial Intelligence Centre (IFC) has announced their intention to locate individuals who form part of Mona Faiz Montrage’s (Hajia4Reall) network to make headway in their investigations into a $2million romance scam the Ghanaian socialite cum musician has been implicated in.
The IFC is working in conjunction with INTERPOL and FBI on the case being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.
In an interview with Starr FM, Deputy Manager of IFC, Shaun Henry Osei, said since Hajia4Reall is known to have worked with a team ‘The Enterprise’ it is imperative to locate its members.
“Obviously, she’s not going to be working alone, she’s going to be working in a network. The evidence that you have access to will actually lead you to be able to find out who her greater network is and obviously, if you find her greater network, by instinct you will want to look at those people because then they become persons of interest.”
Hajia4Reall is known to particularly have many associates in both entertainment and business circles in Ghana, and was an ambassador for some business brands.
The socialite was arrested in the United Kingdom and extradited to the US on May 12, 2023.
She is said to have received money from several victims of romance frauds whom members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money.
Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to MONTRAGE were (i) payments to transport gold to the United States from overseas; (ii) payments to resolve a fake FBI unemployment investigation; and (iii) payments to assist a fake United States army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.
“As to one victim, MONTRAGE used her real name and spoke to the victim several times by phone. MONTRAGE sent the victim a tribal marriage certificate purporting to show that MONTRAGE and the victim had been married in Ghana. The victim sent MONTRAGE approximately 82 wire transfers totaling approximately $89,000 to purportedly help with costs associated with MONTRAGE’s father’s farm in Ghana.
“In total, MONTRAGE controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds from the Enterprise,” the statement added.
In view of this, the charges – one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Montrage is also charged with one count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
But Hajia4Reall has pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court.
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has announced that an agreement has been reached with King Charles III to reclaim lands in Ghana that have been destroyed by the activities of illegal miners.
According to the Asantehene, a conversation on Ghana’s destroyed lands surfaced while in a meeting with King Charles III whose coronation he had attended.
He noted that since the British monarch’s objectives includes preserving the forest reserves and the environment, he quickly jumped on board.
“As you know, a couple of days ago I returned from London, where I attended the coronation of King Charles III whose number one legacy, perhaps is his commitment to afforestation , reforestation and the fight against climate change.
Interestingly, my discussions with him were on land reclamation in Ghana and we had some private discussions that he has accepted to collaborate with me for us to do that,” he said.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made this revelation known while speaking at the launch of the Green Ghana Day held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi on May 17.
Technical teams on environment in the United Kingdom and Ghana are expected to hold a series of meetings on the matter, the Asantehene said.
This would see to the formulation of policies on ways to reclaim the lands.
Before the government’s agenda to plant trees in a bid to restore Ghana’s endangered lands and forest reserves, the Asantehene has committed to planting trees within the Ashanti region.
He reiterated his efforts to ensuring Ghana’s vegetation is protected at the launch. He called some initiatives done in the past.
According to him, 2.5 million trees were planted on a 4,000 hectare land in 2019 towards the protection of the Lake Bosomtwe.
Reiterating his commitment to tree planting and knowing the importance of trees, the overlord of Asante kingdom indicated that he has a teak plantation of about 640 acres in Kumawu.
“I am collaborating with the Forestry Commission to plant more trees in various compartments I have in the region,” he said.
The Ashanti region, despite planting over 7 million trees – highest of all regions – since the inception of the Green Ghana Day – is heavily riddled with illegal small-scale mining.
The Nkawie Forestry district in the Ashanti region is reported to have planted the highest number of seedlings on the 2022 edition of Green Ghana Day.
On his part, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey indicated that 81% and 72% of trees planted in 2021 and 2022 respectively survived.
He says more local trees were planted during the last edition.
“One unique feature of the 2022 edition of Green Ghana was that 35% of the seedlings were planted in Ghana’s forest reserves. A deliberate effort was made to plant more indigenous species. This help increase the percentage of economic timber species planted over the two years to 75%,” he said.
Ningo-Prampram MP, Samuel Nartey George, the lead advocate for the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, has expressed that his commitment to this cause has come at a significant personal cost, even prior to the bill becoming law or otherwise.
Mr Nartey George is sponsoring the Private Members’ Bill alongside seven other MPs.
During an interview on Eko Sii Sen on Asempa FM on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, the outspoken legislator, who has been re-elected to represent the opposition National Democratic Congress in his constituency in the 2024 election, revealed that he has been unjustly included in a money laundering list due to his advocacy.
He shared that this situation has posed challenges for him in conducting financial transactions whenever he travels outside the country.
Even though he was given a reason for the blacklisting, the MP considers it as merely a cover-up, insisting that the blacklisting and some other experiences he’s gone through in some countries are clearly as a result of his anti-LGBTQ campaign.
“I have been put on a money laundering list; I can't even change $1 anywhere in the world" – Sam George
— The Independent Ghana (@independent_gh) May 19, 2023
“I went to do a programme in LSE [London School of Economics] for example, and I needed a student account. The University gave me a letter, but the bank refused to open an account for me. As we speak, I can’t change even one dollar anywhere in the world. They’ve put me on a money laundering list. They claim I am laundering money for evangelical conservatives in the US.
“I can’t change money anywhere, I have done some travels in the UK and Dubai. You know over there, when you want to exchange the money they’ll swipe your passport, so once they do that the countenance of the cashier changes when my name appears, then they hand the passport back to you and say we can’t change the money for you, sorry.
When the host, Philip Osei Bonsu [A.k.a OB] asked him how he carries out financial transactions when he travels out of the country, the MP said, “You have to find the currency of the country you are travelling to, or you have to find a Ghanaian and beg him or her to change the money for you or you use your bank card. I can’t travel with money” the MP reiterated.
The MP also spoke about how he’s been unfairly handled when he travels outside despite being a diplomatic passport holder since the LGBTQ advocacy started.
“Even when I travel with my diplomatic passport, you get pulled out of the line, you think that maybe they want to give you a special service because you’re carrying a diplomatic passport, they put you in a room for two hours; they just leave you sitting there and embarrass you…because you’ve gotten off a plane with Ghanaians and people see security people come and surround you and walk you into a room, search your bags and all of that just to harass you” he claimed.
Sam George, who spoke painfully about the sacrifices, losses and experiences he and his colleagues have endured for pursuing the bill, said “I will write a book after, and I will chronicle everything especially when we are done. And it’s not just me. I can make reference to some because they are already published. Suhuyini [NDC MP for Tamale North] was rejected for a visa to Holland and the reason for rejection was that he lacked social ties to Ghana.
“A sitting Member of Parliament lacks social ties? On that particular matter, I had to tweet at the Dutch Ambassador and tell him that I was also going to make a list of all Dutch businesses in Ghana and call for a boycott of all Dutch businesses. Then he came back and made for me what was the silliest excuse ever. That it was an administrative error.
“Then I sent back a tweet to him and said that even shows how poor he is at being an ambassador. If an application of a diplomatic passport holder coming from the office of the Speaker of Parliament for an official trip can be subject to an administrative error, what is happening to several other ordinary Ghanaians who are paying so much and you’re rejecting their visas? Are we to assume that there’s so much administrative error there? The next day they granted him [Alhassan Suhuyini] the visa” the MP narrated.
Despite these issues, the MP says he’s not perturbed in seeing the bill passed into law.
“They don’t know me well. Those things give me the hunger to pass this bill. It is those things that spur me on because the more you try to break me, the harder I will come at you. Like we say in our faith, I have put my hands on the plough, there’s no turning back. I have crossed the Rubicon, I have bent that bridge, and I can’t go back”, he stated emphatically.
About the Bill
The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, will see culprits face a jail term of up to ten years depending on the crime, if passed in its current state.
Portions of the Bill state that individuals of the same sex who engage in sexual intercourse are; “liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than seven hundred and fifty penalty units and not more than five thousand penalty units, or to a term of imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than five years or both.”
The Bill further suggests that persons who engage in activities that “promote, support, express sympathy for or call for a change of public opinion towards an act prohibited under the Bill,” are liable on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years or not more than ten years.
The other Members of Parliament sponsoring the bill alongside Sam George, are Emmanuel Bedzrah (MP, Ho West) Della Adjoa Sowah (MP, Kpando), John Ntim Fordjour (MP, Assin South), Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (MP, Tamale North), Helen Adjoa Ntoso (MP, Krachi West), Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP, La Dadekotopon) and Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (MP, South Dayi).
Sam George, in defense of the bill, has stated repeatedly that homosexuality is not a fundamental human right but a human preference which is in breach of the 1992 Constitution.
